Ex-Premier League referee exposes major Southampton blunder as James Ward-Prowse footage analysed
Keith Hackett has insisted referee Graham Scott should have disallowed James Ward-Prowse's free-kick as Southampton lost 2-1 away at Fulham on Saturday (31 December).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee accused Saints stars of forming part of the Fulham wall which was assembled to deal with the effort - something which is not permitted in the laws of the game.
As seen in footage from the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel (31 December), Ward-Prowse stepped up and dispatched a trademark free-kick from 25 yards to equalise for Southampton away at Fulham.
However, replays appeared to show that Saints star Armel-Bella Kotchap was closer to the Fulham wall than is allowed by law.
As per rules brought in by Ifab at the start of the 2019-20 season, where three or more defending team players form a wall, all attacking team players must remain at least one metre from the wall until the ball is in play.
Fulham went on to win the game 2-1 to keep Southampton at the bottom of the Premier League and lift themselves into seventh place.
Hackett told Football Insider: “The referee has got it wrong in law.
“This hasn’t been picked up at all, but the gap has got to be a metre.
“The goal should have been disallowed because the Southampton attacker has almost formed part of the Fulham wall.
“The law wasn’t fulfilled.”